Waivers for disqualifying medical conditions in U.S. Naval aviation personnel

Abstract

In the United States Navy, many diagnoses are considered disqualifying for aviation duty, but aircrew may be "waived" to return to flight duties after resolution of the disease or appropriate treatment of the condition. Personnel with waivers are usually subject to more frequent physical examinations and/or special diagnostic procedures. Although the Naval Aerospace and Operational Medical Institute promulgates written aeromedical guidelines as to which diseases may be waived and which may not, waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis considering not only the diagnosis, but the age, experience, and type of aviation duty of the individual in question. This study was undertaken to determine which conditions were most and least likely to be waived. We reviewed all records of aviators entered into the Naval Aviation Medical Data Retrieval System who had been diagnosed with a condition considered disqualifying for aviation duty, totaling over 39,000 records. Cases were stratified by diagnosis and aviation duty, and the percentage waived was calculated for major diagnostic groups. Among designated aviation personnel, approximately 68% of all aviators with a disqualifying diagnosis were recommended for a waiver. Otolaryngologic, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular disorders accounted for nearly 50% of diagnoses in personnel recommended for a waiver. Fear of flying, personality disorders, and adjustment disorders were the three diagnoses least likely to be granted a waiver. The most frequently occurring disqualifying diagnoses were allergic rhinitis, obesity, disorders of refraction and accommodation, urolithiasis, and alcohol dependence.